Warmth
by momoxtoshiro
Summary: A session of Kanade Suzutsuki's gynophobia training for Jirou goes amiss one cold, Winter evening, and Subaru is left outside alone in the snow. How will she be able to learn the meaning of true warmth? JirouxSubaru. Fluff!


**Well guys, here I am back again for my second Mayo Chiki fic! I just love this series and its characters so much, so I can't help myself whenever I get inspiration. **

**As with many of my other one-shot fluff fics, what started as a small spark escalated to a wildfire as I was in the process of writing this; I planned it to be maybe 10 pages on my document, but it ended up at about 19. Heheheh...Well anyway, please enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Mayo Chiki! :'(**

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><p>Warmth<p>

Snowflakes fluttered down onto the freshly frosted earth, sticking to the cool pavement and freezing the grass.

Kinjirou Sakamachi was woken early that morning with a foot to the face from his inhumanly strong and insanely hyperactive little sister, resulting in a nosebleed on his part. He acquired nosebleeds in two different ways; half of them from his gynophobia and the other half from situations like this one.

As he dabbed his nose with a reddening tissue, he found himself slightly thankful for being woken up earlier than usual on a weekend day, for what he considered to be a fairly good reason. As he threw away the tissue, groaning at how Kureha's kicks had somehow improved since the previous morning, he recalled the situation at school the previous day that had ended him up where he was now.

_"Yoo-hoo! Jirou-kun!" Kanade Suzutsuki had sang out to him as she and Subaru had arrived to join him on the roof for lunch. "I hope you've prepared yourself." Her voice lowered threateningly as she took her seat beside him and slid closer to him. _

_"Wh...What? What are you talking about?" He had asked, floundering away from her and clasping his hand over his nose. _

_"My, my, don't tell me you've slacked off in your training?" She feigned shock. "Just because we haven't taken any intense measures in a while doesn't mean we're done. Then again, I suppose that is partially my fault for not preparing anything major in a while..." she trailed off for a moment, looking thoughtful as Subaru quietly took her own seat on Jirou's other side. "But anyway," her mistress continued. "we'll be back on track starting tomorrow."_

_"Forget it." The boy snorted, trying to sound more defiant than he felt. "I don't need you meddling in my weekends as well as my school days."_

_"Ah, ah, ah." She shook her head from side to side. "Don't be like that, Jirou-kun. If you slack off too much you'll never overcome your fears." She smiled evilly. "So that's why I've arranged a little get-together for you and Subaru this weekend." She announced proudly. _

_"Hah?" Jirou shouted. At the same time, Subaru nearly choked on her rice._

_"O-Ojou-sama!" She gasped; obviously the sadistic mistress had not spoken a word of her plots to her faithful butler. _

_"Well, I'd do it myself," Kanade hopped to her feet and circled around Jirou like a hawk until she stood beside Subaru. "But I'll be busy tomorrow." Here, she leaned down and whispered into the other girl's ear. "Besides, you'd both like this best of all, now wouldn't you?" She asked playfully. Subaru's breath hitched and she said nothing, only bowed her head to hide her blush. _

_"Wait, wait." Jirou attempted to speak, but Kanade ignored him. _

_"Alright then, sounds good! I've arranged your date to be tomorrow afternoon. It's not supposed to snow till nighttime, so you two should be fine. Subaru doesn't really like the cold all that much, so it'll be a little bit of training for her as well to go out and have some fun during the Wintertime." She leaned in near Jirou and murmured, "I'll be sure to dress her in something irresistibly cute." _

_And with a wink, she took her seat and ate her lunch contentedly as the other two sat in petrified silence. _

Just remembering the ridiculous situation caused Jirou to shudder. "Damn that Suzutsuki." He growled as he slipped into a a white T-shirt, then stopped himself. _Wait. _He thought._ If I really am going to have to go on this...this...date with Konoe, shouldn't I wear something nicer?_ He pondered about wearing the other shirts in his closet before he blinked his eyes open and exclaimed, "Gah! What am I thinking? This is just another one of Suzutsuki's twisted plans for her own entertainment. It's not as if I'm _actually_ going on a date with Konoe...right?" He blinked again, as though expecting his vacant bedroom wall to provide and answer of sorts.

Shaking his head from side to side to clear it, he finished getting ready and checked the time. Kanade had arranged his meet-up with Subaru to be at 3PM, which would have given them plenty of time for whatever training methods they needed to practice; which meant date-like activities. It was bound to snow later that evening, so the 'date' was scheduled for hours prior to the bad weather.

Jirou still had a good amount of time to kill before he had to take off, even to be several minutes early upon arrival at the park where they were supposed to meet. So he deiced to kill some time, eating breakfast before keeping to himself in his room and completing some unfinished homework as well a surfing the Internet for a time.

When at last it was time for him to prepare to leave, just about 2:30, he headed downstairs, stiff and on high alert, trying to be wary of any sneak attacks his sister may have laid out for him. However, Jirou found his sister sitting on the couch in their living room, placidly watching television, although he was still suspicious.

"Where are you going, Nii-san?" She wondered when she heard him come down; her green eyes were sparked with something that he easily read as 'if you're going somewhere with Subaru-sama or Onee-sama without me, then I will beat you a thousand times over'.

Jirou flinched inwardly, but stayed strong as he replied, "Just going out with some friends." He was proud of himself for not letting his voice waver, but Kureha was a bit more cunning than that.

"Friends? _You_?" She repeated, doubtfully. "Like whom?"

"That kinda hurt, you know..." he mumbled. "But you don't know them. Just some of my classmates." He explained quickly as he grabbed his long, Winter jacket and scarf.

"Hmm?" His younger sister leaned over the cushion of the couch, completely focused on him now, trying to nail him in his lies. But Jirou thought quickly.

"Hey did you know that new boxing show starts airing today?"

"Huh? Really?" Kureha perked up immediately. "I can't wait!" She exclaimed flipping back around to face the TV immediately, totally refocused on it now.

"Y-Yeah. So, um... see you later!" He said quickly, not waiting for a response as he slipped out the door and closed it behind him.

He sighed in relief once he was outside and relaxed a bit, looking up at the white sky. There was already a thin layer of snow on the ground and the temperature was chilling, but it would not turn too cold until much later.

For a moment, he just stood there and savored the cool air, getting used to it before he shoved his hands into his pockets and pulled out his warm gloves and slid them on. He adjusted his scarf before he stepped down onto the barely visible sidewalk and began heading toward the park and the meeting destination. _Although I'm going to complete some more of Suzutsuki's torturous training, just the fact that it's Konoe makes me feel like it won't be so bad. Plus, just the fact that I'm heading out now to meet a _girl_ on somewhat of a _date_ is an amazing thing in and of itself. _

He did not realize that a smile had formed on his lips as he continued on his way. Jirou thought of all the things he would do on a date with a girl that was not part of his anti-gynophobia training; a fantasy that was still all too far off. As he thought of the places he would take her and what they would do during each different season, he got carried away, and so was shocked when sudden movement flashed in the corner of his eye.

Jumping, he froze in his tracks and stared into the nearby bushes, on alert and prepared for several different scenarios, all of which included any of the girls involved in his life ready to pounce on him for no good reason.

Yet he was thoroughly surprised when nothing more than a small, white puppy waddled into his field of vision. "Oh, it's just a dog." He grinned, squatting down and offering his hand. But before he could even coo the dog over to him, it scampered off.

Jirou blinked, slightly hurt at being rejected even by man's supposed best friend, but just sighed, stood, shoved his hands back into his warm pockets and continued on his way.

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><p>Subaru fidgeted uncomfortably in the outfit her mistress had chosen for her to wear during today's training.<p>

"Geez. Ojou-sama knows I can't handle the cold for long, so why would she demand I wear such an outfit?" The girl moaned, glaring down at her attire. White boots and thin, black, thigh-high socks were all that shielded her legs from the chilly breezes. Her torso was protected by nothing but a pale pink blouse and pink mini-skirt, while a white jacket rested on her shoulders.

She made sure all the buttons were done up her jacket several times, for she still felt considerably cold, so she crossed her arms over her body and tried to warm herself up by pacing back and forth in the snow.

As directed by her mistress, Subaru had arrived at the designated meeting spot no less than ten minutes before the suggested time, and every second she prayed that Jirou get there faster so that she may be able to start moving around more to warm up, or perhaps just go inside with him somewhere. She was thankful that her long, thick hair covered the back of her neck from the wind, but after a few moments her hair turned cold from the breeze and only made her shudder.

"Please hurry up, Jirou!" She begged the wind, stuffing her bare hands beneath her arms and plastering them to her sides.

Just then, she caught movement from beside her and immediately went into combat-butler mode. However, what she saw was only a small, white puppy, trotting toward her, tail wagging. "Aw!" She squealed, squatting down and extending her hand, which the animal affectionately rubbed against. "How cute! Come here." She ran her hands up and down the puppy's thick, warm fur, absorbing its warmth and sharing what little of hers she had left in her body. She giggled as it licked her palms and fingers before suddenly taking off the way it had come. "Aw. I wonder what that was about..." she tilted her head and watched the puppy disappear down the sidewalk. "Be careful!" She called out after it.

She then stuffed her hands back under her arms and continued to pace around in circle, counting the seconds of every minute that passed beyond 3PM.

* * *

><p>Jirou was about halfway to the park when yet another sight caught his eye; a sight that nearly had him running back home in fear.<p>

A little girl with a thick Winter coat and brown hair tied in pigtails wandered up to him and tugged on his sleeve. "Onii-chan." She said, looking up at him with big, watery eyes.

"W-W-W-What is it?" Jirou replied in a clipped voice, subtly slipping his hand from her tiny grip and covering his nose.

"Puppy ran away." She replied

"Ah. I see." He knew that it was already past 3 by now and that Subaru was probably already waiting for him, but looking at the child before him, he could not help but feel the need to assist her. _Well I guess I really have no choice at this point. I mean really. How could I just brush off this poor kid? I'm sure Konoe will understand if I'm a few minutes late. _"O-Okay. How about Onii-san helps you look for him?" He suggested, recalling the small dog he had seen not too long ago.

"Okay!" She nodded with a huge beaming smile that Jirou could not help but grin back at. Leading the girl alongside him, Jirou retraced his steps again and attempted to remember where he had seen the dog; he had been so depressed when it ran off he had not taken note of which direction it went in. He searched for paw prints, but the snow was not thick enough to make significant imprints for him to track it by.

Jirou did not know how long he spent searching for the lost dog at the time, but when the white puppy he had seen previously came bounding into sight and ran to the girl happily, he let out a sigh of relief and pulled out his cell phone.

He winced when he noted that it was nearly 4:30, and cursed himself mentally for two reasons; one, he was doomed to a far worse training sessions from Kanade Suzutsuki later if he did not complete this one now, and two, he felt like a complete and total jerk for not thinking to text or call Subaru previously to let her know he would be so late. _It probably would have been better just to tell her to go home! She would have understood..._

Presently, he fumbled through his gloves to type out such a message and sent it to her. "Dammit, I am such an idiot..." he mumbled under his breath. As he turned to bid his little companions goodbye at last, he felt a familiar tugging on his sleeve and look down at the girl with the pigtails, her puppy standing beside her. "Onii-san!" She piped.

"W-What is it?" He smiled through the sweat on his face, sniffing his nose to keep the blood back.

"I don't know how to get home." She declared.

Jirou felt he could hear the the dread explode in his mind.

"Okay." He gave in decisively. "Come on." He slipped his cell phone back into his pants pocket and began his second mission, setting off with his charges back the way they had come.

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><p>Kanade Suzutsuki was passing through her foyer when she heard a familiar buzzing sound.<p>

Tilting her head to one side, she tracked the source and discovered her butler's cell phone lying atop a forgotten scarf near the front door.

"Oh Subaru..." the mistress sighed, picking up the phone and flipping it open. She shook her head from side to side helplessly as she read the text message Jirou had just sent: _Konoe. Sorry I'm so late. If you've already gone home then that's good. But if you're still waiting, then I'm coming right now. I'll explain everything later. Sorry_.

"Oh my." The girl frowned. "Well, I assume she's still there waiting for him since she hasn't come back yet. I'd go and get her myself but I assume Jirou-kun is on his way to get her right now." But just to be sure, she sent him a text message asking if that was the case. She waited a while, sitting on her couch, and after not receiving a reply for over twenty minutes, she assumed her classmate and butler had met up.

"If not, this sure will be interesting..." she smirked.

* * *

><p>"Aw crap." Jirou growled; almost as soon as he had sent his text to Subaru, his phone had died. "I forgot to charge it last night. Well, at least I got to send it to her so hopefully she'll go home soon." He wandered the sidewalks with the little girl and her loyal white puppy for a fair amount of time before they finally found her home. After being thanked profoundly by her mother, Jirou forced himself to hold back his nosebleed when she shook his hand before trudging back to the sidewalk he had initially started out on hours prior.<p>

Snowflakes were beginning to flutter down from the dark gray sky now and he tried to recall what the time had been the last time he had checked his phone. "Damn. I should have asked that woman for the time just now..." he cursed himself. He recalled Kanade saying that it was supposed to begin snowing that evening into the early night hours and it just finally hit Jirou how late it must have been. "Crap." He quickened his pace as he headed for the park again, the sky getting darker and the snowfall getting heavier with each passing moment. "But...there's no way she's still there...right?" He rushed onward the remaining portion of the way toward the park and stopped several meters before the entrance to gather his bearings.

At first he was relieved to see no signs that indicated Subaru was still there, but as he entered the park and walked toward the streetlights that hovered above the walkway, his chest tightened with dread when he spotted a familiar figure with long, ginger hair, hunched over on one of the benches.

"Konoe..." her name slipped from his mouth, laced in sheer shock and dread. _Idiot!_ He yelled in his mind as he raced forward toward her. "Konoe!" He called as he neared his classmate.

Subaru, her arms folded and pressed between her lap and her torso in an attempt to keep her exposed skin warm, thought she was starting to hear things. _Huh? Jirou? Why is he here?_

She had been dozing in and out of consciousness for the past hour or so, not entirely sure whether she was cold or not anymore. She _knew _she should feel cold, considering the snowfall beginning to make small piles on her shoulders and crystalize her hair, but at some points she felt completely warm, even though she knew that was wrong.

She clenched her numbed fingers into tight fists and pressed them to her chest as she heard footsteps approaching her rapidly. She heard her name again and blinked her eyes open, tiny icicles hanging on her lashes. She thought she was dreaming until she heard the voice loud and clear, and something within her snapped back into reality.

"Konoe!" He shouted, and her sky blue eyes flew open. Jirou laid a hand on her back and shook her gently; he could feel the freezing cold sensation emitting from her body, even through his gloves, and winced. "Hey, Konoe. Konoe!" He repeated frantically, shaking her again as he sat beside her.

Subaru managed to push herself up slightly into a sitting position, her drowsy eyes fighting to focus on him.

"Jirou...?" She mumbled confusedly.

"Oh, thank God." Jirou sighed. "I thought you'd passed out or something." He let a small grin form on his lips before he remembered just how worried he had been upon seeing her. "Idiot!" He scolded then, and she flinched. Jirou immediately regretting his harsh tone and reasonably softened his voice again. "Idiot. Why did you come? I texted you and told you to go home since I got held up!"

"Eh?" The girl blinked at him in confusion, then she seemed to think back on something for a moment. "Ah. I l-left my cell phone at home." She admitted.

"You what?" He cried. "Then why didn't Suzutsuki..." But he realized his answer as he spoke and quickly reached for his cell phone to remember it was dead. "Damn it." He muttered, putting it away again. Then he sighed. "Well I was late because I needed to help a little girl find her lost puppy. And then her house." He explained, feeling somewhat like a jerk despite his story.

"That was so nice of you!" Konoe beamed, her breath producing thick, white puffs of air that dissolved into the falling snowflakes. Only then did Jirou realize how flushed her cheeks were.

"How long have you been waiting here?" He asked, getting a look at her outfit for the first time. "Wearing an outfit like that...I bet Suzutsuki had you wear it, even in such cold weather."

"Ojou-sama was just trying to help with the training. Besides..." her voice became softer. "Don't you think it's...cute?"

Jirou immediately felt like a moron as he felt a tickling sensation in his nose and his stomach.

"Of course! It's really cute!" He replied instantly; the smile she showed him was worth every once of embarrassment he felt at the moment.

"Really?" She sounded so thrilled that Jirou lost himself in her eyes for a second before remembering the more dire matter at hand.

"B-But never mind that for now!" He changed the subject, looking her over and seeing the frost and snowflakes embedded in her hair and on her clothing. Slipping off his gloves, Subaru watched him with a puzzled expression until he pressed the back of his hand against her cheek and she squeaked in surprise; Jirou pulled away just as quickly. "Holy crap! Konoe, you're _freezing_!" He shouted, unwinding his scarf from around his neck.

"E-Eh? Really? I don't feel too cold..."

"You probably have frostbite!" He cried. "Here." He draped his scarf around her shoulders and tightened it snugly around her neck. Everything was happening too quickly for Subaru to keep track of, so the poor girl remained literally frozen as he did this, unsure of what to do in this situation.

Then, Jirou took both of her hands in his own and began rapidly rubbing his over hers, trying to warm her skin and get her blood flowing again. Subaru could not help but enjoy the feeling of being fussed over by someone other than her mistress, especially Jirou, the boy with gynophobia of all people. All her life, she only ever remembered the touch of Kanade's small hands over hers, but now, Jirou's hands covered hers completely and then some, and they were extremely warm. Subaru realized that she was beginning to feel sensations again; and she realized now that she felt insanely cold.

Jirou slipped his gloves onto her hands then and held them tightly.

"There. Do you feel any better? Warmer?"

"Y-Y-Yes." She stammered. She felt as though a shield of ice had been locked around her body up until now, and that the boy at her side had just melted it away. "T-Thank you, J-Jirou." Her teeth began to chatter, and her entire body shook uncontrollably, as though the very core of her body was tingling violently from the inside out.

Jirou's eyebrows furrowed with concern as he saw her condition worsen before his eyes and he placed one hand on her lap and the other on her back.

"I can't believe you waited for me..." he murmured, a tiny smile on his lips.

Then, he decided to do possibly the boldest thing he had ever done in his gynophobic life to date.

Since it felt like the cold would freeze any blood that threatened to trickle from his nose, he decided to go through with his plan then and there. He moved his arms slowly before locking them around her shoulders and back, and pulled her into him as though their bodies were magnetic to one another. Subaru gasped at his sudden actions, totally taken aback that he would do such a thing as she found herself pressed up against him, their knees knocking together.

"J-Jirou..." she managed to say in between bouts of shivering. "Y-You'll s-s-stare bleeding again." She reminded him, trying feebly to push him away, but her arms gave out on her within seconds, all strength utterly drained from her frozen body at this point.

"It's fine. I won't bleed." He promised. He assumed his body knew that he needed warmth at this point as well, and so it did not entirely mind that the person he was receiving it from was female. "Just...stay here...for a few moments...like this..." he mumbled into her ear.

Her eyes widened at his caring words, and Subaru immediately felt her heart rate thump into overdrive. Her hands curled into her chest as she finally let in to her physical desires and pressed up closer against him. She finally just allowed herself to break down into the violent shivers she had been holding back with all her might up until this point. Her body began shuddering more than she knew to be possible, so much so that she could not even keep her chattering teeth closed. Small whimpers slipped periodically through her lips and each time she just nestled closer to him.

"Konoe..." he said her name miserably, knowing there was nothing more he could do for her then hold her in his arms. _Well then, if that's all I can do then I'll do a damn good job of it!_ He decided determinedly.

Tightening his embrace on her, he pulled her in until her face was buried into his shoulder, and she gripped his jacket with trembling hands. Jirou rested his chin atop her head and jumped slightly when he felt how cold her hair was. He moved his arms up and down her back, rubbing her shoulders gently and shifting his position so that she fit perfectly into his arms.

All Subaru could do at this point was repeat to herself that this was real, though half of her believed it was too good to be true. She relished the feeling of his warm touch, knowing it would all be over far too soon, and she wanted to prove to herself that this was real, if only for a moment.

"Thank you, Jirou..." she rasped.

"Shh. Don't talk yet. You'll freeze your vocal chords." He mumbled, despite his grin.

She was still shuddering a lot, but not as much as before. He continued to rub his hands up and down her back, and Subaru cuddled into the crook of his neck. He was beyond surprised at the fact that he had not passed out yet from being at such an incredibly close distance to a such an adorable girl, but was not complaining at all; he assumed it was because his body was too cold right now to worry about it's gynophobia defenses and was only focused on staying warm and did not mind hugging Konoe Subaru to get it.

Presently, for the first time in his life, Jirou thought upon his phobia as something good; since he never got to be near a girl previously without passing out, that made these rare moments all the more memorable and precious. It also did not hurt that he was somewhat interested in the girl in his arms.

For several moments, the two of them remained that way, silent, comfortably close, in a way that only the season of Winter would allow two people in such a relationship to be. Only in that light snowfall could they truly appreciate the warmth of another person.

At last, Jirou felt Subaru's trembling shoulders go still and relax, and her tensed body went limp. He supported her weight as he felt her pulse drop, wondering whether he should wake her up before they both froze into icicles. But when he got a look at her blushing, peaceful face, small smile curling her lips, he decided to let her sleep just for a little while. _It _is _sort of my fault all of this happened I guess. So it's the least I can do. Plus, the snow has stopped now._

He caught himself from admitting that he was enjoying this too much, though he knew it was blatantly obvious. So he just sat there for a few moments, letting himself indulge in the fact that he was finally living one of his many dreams; holding an adorable girl in his arms and not gushing blood all over her.

As Subaru slept, Jirou watched the snowflakes fluttering down slowly, much slower than before. The orange light of the streetlights casted a pale light onto the white ground, and Jirou realized that at that moment, everything was completely silent, save from Subaru's soft breathing. The boy sat there just looking at the normal Wintertime scenery, finding a newer, great beauty in it he had never really appreciated before.

He sighed, watching the thick white air dissipate in front of him, and suddenly the air seemed a bit less cold. He stiffened a bit when he felt Subaru shifting at his side and loosened his grip on her so that she could move in whatever way was comfortable for her. She made cute little noises and Jirou could not keep the amused smile off his face. Most of her mumbles were inaudible, aside from a few distinct words.

"Jirou..." He heard her say clearly as her fingers clutched at his jacket before unfurling again; he felt the corners of his lips curl upward. "So warm..." she sighed. But there was something in her sleepy voice that made her words sound longing.

Before he could wonder why she sounded that way, she lifted her head and blinked sleepily up at him, her sky blue eyes were hazy with confusion as she tried to remember just where she was. She glanced up at him, still not fully aware of if this was a dream or reality.

Then, her eyes widened as she froze, a cherry-tinted blush filling her cheeks once she was aware of her proximity to him. Jirou felt the same blush on his own face as he stared down at her, his jaw hung open slightly.

A few seconds floated by as their gazes locked on one another, both unsure of what to do; only Subaru's cute little sneeze saved them both from trying to start up a conversation. "I-I'm sorry!" She exclaimed.

"No, it's fine." He chuckled, letting his hands slide from her back up to her shoulders, keeping her at a distance, but not too far. "Do you feel any better? Do you feel _at all_?" He added on, only partially sarcastic. "I doubt you could feel anything before, considering how cold you were."

"But I'm fine now!" She assured him happily. "But..." she trailed off quietly, not meaning for him to hear it, but he did.

"But what?" He asked, quirking an eyebrow.

"Ah! U-Um no, I didn't mean...I mean...I don't...ah..."

Jirou found the way she fumbled for literate words irresistibly cute. "Whoa, calm down." He chuckled. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to."

"No!" She said, a little louder than she wanted to, and he looked taken aback. "S-Sorry." She bowed her head as her blush deepened. Then, she built up her courage for what she wanted to say. "B-But, just now...I was...really...warm..." her voice got softer with each word, but he heard her loud and clearly.

"I see." He nodded. He resisted the urge to hug her again, knowing it would be a bit awkward at this point, and also not wanting to push it too far. Instead, he patted her shoulders once lightly and got to his feet, wiping the snow from his pants. "We should get going now. I'm sure we could have had a much better time today if I'd gotten here on time. I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize. You were doing something nice. I'd never blame you for being late because of something like that." She beamed up at him from where she sat, her hands folded in her lap. "Oh! Here, you can have these back. I'm not cold anymore." She remembered, sliding his gloves off and offering them to him.

"Are you sure?" He checked, taking them from her.

"Yes. Thank you."

He nodded and pulled his gloves on before offering her his hand. Subaru hesitated, extending her hand slightly before deciding to accept his.

He pulled her up and for the first time that evening, Jirou got a good look at her outfit, specially-picked by the Suzutsuki's mistress herself for her butler to wear for Jirou's training. He could not help but think that her attire alone was enough to let her freeze, let alone being exposed to the wind and snow for an extended amount of time; her thigh-high socks were of thin material, her pink mini-skirt did hardly anything to protect her skin against the cold breeze, and although her long ginger hair was down to its fullest lengths, the fact that it was cold as ice did nothing to keep her neck and back warm. Even her jacket seemed to be made of a thin material; the warmest parts of the entire thing were probably the little, fluffy pom-poms dangling from the strings above her collarbones.

_It's almost as if Suzutsuki planned this out. Since Konoe doesn't like the cold, she probably knew that I would be inclined to try and make her warmer, which would lead to me getting close to her, which means..._

"Damn, she's good!" He mumbled under his breath. "She's not even here and yet she's still having me do such intensive training."

"Eh? What was that?" Subaru tilted her head to one side.

"O-Oh, nothing. I was just talking to myself." He laughed, secretly commending Subaru's sadistic mistress. Then he sighed as he looked around them, noticing how dark it had gotten. "Well. Let's get you home. If Suzutsuki wants us to do more training, we can do it another time. You need to stay warm now." He decided sternly and Subaru nodded once. Then Jirou's eyes softened. "Come on. Let's go."

He began walking, and she followed after him more slowly. They walked in silence along the snow-covered sidewalk, the snow crunching beneath their feet.

Along the way, Jirou noticed her fidgeting and realized that she was rubbing her hands together and breathing on them to keep them warm. He nearly smacked himself in the face when he remembered that he was wearing his thick, warm gloves again. "Hey, wait a second." He said and she blinked up at him questioningly.

Jirou slid off his right glove and handed it to her, motioning to her to put it on. Subaru did so and was about to ask him what he was planning, but she never got the chance to. Jirou took hold of her bare left hand with his right and Subaru jumped a bit.

"J-Jirou..." she tried to protest.

"It's fine. This way we can both be equally warm." He smiled sideways at her and her eyes brightened as she nodded joyfully.

They continued to walk for several more moments, until at last, they arrived outside of the Suzutsuki's mansion.

"Thank you, Jirou." Subaru returned his glove and scarf as well. But as she removed the soft material from around her neck, she shivered involuntarily.

"Are you okay?" He asked, concerned; he was still doubtful that she could truly be alright from the outfit she was wearing.

"Y...Yeah..." she attempted to sound convincing, but the smile plastered on her lips told Jirou there was something she was not saying.

"Come on, just tell me." He urged.

She flickered her eyes toward him quickly before suddenly finding great interest in the ground.

"Um...ah...well it's just that..." she fumbled, trying to find the right words as to not push him away.

"Yes?" He asked patiently.

"Well...I'm still a little cold." She admitted.

"R...Really?" He was slightly taken aback, but when he saw the sincere blush on her face, Jirou knew that this was taking all of her courage to say to him. "Well then..."

He reached forward and wrapped his arms around her again, pulling her in by the small of her back. Her hair was still cold and he could still feel her trembling slightly, but from the way she nuzzled into his chest, he could tell she was truly happy. He also found it fairly surprising that his body felt no urge to give out on him. _So I guess, in a way, Suzutsuki's training for today went extremely well._

He let his eyelids close as he rested his chin on her head, taking in her distinct, and relaxing tea-like, scent. Jirou found himself enjoying it all far too much, and hugged her a little tighter at the thought of letting her go.

But he eventually began to worry that Kanade herself would come out and spot them soon enough, so he reluctantly loosened his embrace on her and she took the hint, stepping back.

"Thank you." She mumbled sincerely, but still somehow looked like she had something she wanted to say or ask him.

"Konoe..." he said knowingly.

She looked conflicted for a moment, as though fighting between the half of her that wanted to keep quiet and the half that wanted to speak. Eventually, the latter succeeded.

"The truth is...my...my lips are cold too!" She exclaimed with great effort, her eyes squeezed shut with embarrassment.

The blue-haired boy felt a blush creep across his face as well when he finally heard her request. His mind raced as he debated how he should answer and what he should do.

But Subaru seemed to change her mind first. "N-Never mind! I take it back! Pretend I never said that!" She turned around and dashed toward the mansion, but thankfully Jirou's body worked faster than his mind. He reached out and grabbed her wrist, stopping her in her tracks as she feebly tried to shake him off.

"Konoe!"

"N-No! I said it's fine! Just forget it! I didn't mean to say that!" She wailed, still struggling; it took every once of strength within Jirou to hold on to her but not tight enough to hurt her.

"It's okay!" He told her, praying no one would hear their loud conversation and come out to see what was going on.

"Jirou, I don't want this to ruin our relationship! Please, just let me go!" She begged, her knees trembling now.

"Konoe! Listen you idiot! I said I'll do it!" He shouted, making sure she heard him. As his words processed in her mind, she momentarily lost her tug against him, so he wound up pulling her backward, sending her crashing into his arms. "S-Sorry!" He apologized.

"It...it's...okay..." she whispered, not making eye contact with him.

"Hey. Look up." Jirou instructed her quietly. Subaru lifted her chin, a little calmer now.

"Jirou, really. You don't have to-"

But she was cut off as Jirou leaned down and pressed his lips against hers.

She stiffened in his arms, her fingers balling into fists as she weakly pushed against him, her heart racing and her mind becoming blank. But as she began to get used to the sensation of his warm lips on hers, she managed to realize that this may be the only time she would get to feel this from him.

So she closed her eyes and relaxed her shoulders, daring to kiss him back as best she could. Her heart was pounding so fiercely that she knew he could feel it, but the sensation of his lips on hers was too overwhelmingly amazing that she hardly cared at this point.

Jirou too let himself indulge in his fantasies come true; he had only ever dreamed of kissing a girl, and all of this was almost too good to be true. Her soft lips tasted mostly of snowflakes, but there was a slight, cinnamon-like flavor past the initial cold. Her little hands were curled cutely against his chest, keeping a small distance between them at first. But as he felt her shoulders loosen, he was surprised when he felt her hands hesitantly snake around his back, and Jirou though he easily could have died happily right then and there.

What seemed to last a blissful eternity to each of them was, in reality, under a mere minute, and before long Subaru found herself becoming lightheaded. Reluctantly, she squeezed him a little tighter, silently signaling to him that she needed air. Jirou, who had gotten more or less lost in the kiss, came back to his senses and slowly loosened his embrace on her.

At last, they pulled apart, Jirou trying to hide his eyes through his glasses somehow as Subaru burst out into small gasps.

"J...Jirou..." she panted, unsure of where to go from here.

"I...I'll see you in school. Get some rest." He patted her once on the shoulder and took a step back. Subaru was at a loss for words, watching in dismay as he turned away from her, but she knew she could not let things end between them like this tonight.

As Jirou began walking back toward the street, his mind still bleak and fuzzy, he was taken aback when he felt two warm arms lock around his torso. He stopped walking and stared ahead. "Konoe..." he said quietly.

"Jirou..." she mumbled into his back before she spoke more clearly. "Thank you so much for tonight! I'll see you in school!"

He could tell by her voice that it was more of a question, a request rather than a statement. _She's wondering...if things will still be the same between us..._ He could tell she was anxious to hear his reply by the shaking of her hands, clasped around his stomach.

Jirou smiled. "Right." He placed his hands over hers and gently undid her grip, turning around to face her. "I'll definitely see you in school, Konoe. And...outside of school too." He promised.

Her watery blue eyes finally began to sparkle as they went from troubled to overjoyed.

"Yes! Thank you! Thank you, thank you, thank you!" She flung her arms around him one more time, and Jirou hugged her back.

"Sure thing, Konoe." Then, Subaru stepped away, smiling brightly up at him, eyes shimmering. "Good night."

"Good night, Jirou." She dipped her head quickly to him before turning and running off to the mansion.

Jirou watched her go, still trying to prove to himself that everything that had just happened was, in fact, reality.

But above all else he knew two things; that Kanade's intentions for that night's special training had gone far beyond her expectations, farther than she would ever know, and that Subaru Konoe was the only girl he ever wanted to hold in his arms.

Then, he shook his head from side to side, trying to clear his thoughts. _What am I thinking? That's...impossible...right?_ He pondered as he began walking.

As he made his way down the sidewalks, back toward his own home, he realized that, even though his hands were both gloved, they felt significantly colder than they should.

Subaru, too, felt that her hands were colder than they should have been, even as she sat beside her mistress by the fireplace that night.

But both knew one thing for sure; that they had never experienced true warmth before that night, and never would again until they were together once more.

_Well_, the boy and the girl thought simultaneously. _That won't take long now..._

* * *

><p><strong>AN: There you have it! My second Mayo Chiki fic. Sorry if the ending seemed rushed (I was writing this for hours) but I do hope some of you got the satisfaction you were hoping for! I know some of you wanted a kiss in my last fic, so I gave it to you here as best I could! Thanks for reading and please continue to love this series! :D**

**Please review!**


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